A protective sleeve is described for enclosing a portion of a medical stethoscope and, more particularly, a stethoscope sleeve for the head and a portion of the tubing of a stethoscope for preventing contamination and transmission of infectious organisms and other biohazards.
Stethoscopes used by health care professionals during patient examinations have become a known cause of cross-contamination and biohazards transmission. The stethoscope, typically a personal device carried by a health care professional, is used to examine multiple patients. During each examination process, the stethoscope directly contacts body parts of each patient. Thus, the stethoscope acts as a fomite from patient to patient, significantly increasing cross-contamination and transmission of infectious organisms.
Cleaning a stethoscope between uses is typically ineffective in eliminating certain resistant infectious organisms. It is also difficult and impractical for health care professionals to carry out the cleaning process each time with consistency. Single-patient use disposable stethoscopes have been implemented as a less than adequate solution to eliminate breaks in barrier protection. The single-patient stethoscopes are used by all providers caring for a given patient resulting in multiple opportunities for the stethoscope ear tips to become contaminated and spread pathogens to the providers resulting in an occupational safety hazard for the providers and increased risk of pathogen transmission to patients.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a new stethoscope sleeve for preventing contact with the stethoscope thereby reducing the chances for contamination and transmission of infection from one observed patient or health care worker to another worker or patient. The sleeve should cover at least a portion of the body of the stethoscopes for providing the necessary protection while not interfering with the stethoscope's operation. Ideally, means for releasably retaining the sleeve on the stethoscope is also provided.